Crews called to more than 30 Bonfire Night-related incidents

Firefighters have attended more than 30 incidents related to Bonfire Night this year.

Between Thursday 5 and Sunday 8 November, crews were called to a total of 38 incidents across Staffordshire.

The majority of the incidents were bonfires that were either left unattended or had got out of control.

On Thursday (5 November), two appliances went to the scene of two large bonfires which had become out of control off Lomas Street in Stoke-on-Trent.

Just before 1am on Friday (6 November), we were called to Warreners Walk in Tunstall following reports of a large bonfire becoming out of control.

In both incidents, the bonfires were extinguished and thankfully nobody was reported injured.

At 8.15pm on Saturday (7 November), one crew went to the scene of a large bonfire on Glebedale Road, Fenton, after the caller raised concerns about it being too close to trees. Crews gave advice to the responsible person.

At 6.30am yesterday (Sunday 8 November), we were called to Oldfield Road in Uttoxeter following reports that a bonfire lit the night before was still well alight. The bonfire was extinguished using a hose reel jet.

Head of Prevent, Protect and Partnerships, Nick Jones, said: "Thankfully nobody has been seriously injured as a result of a bonfire or firework-related incident this year, but we have seen a large number of incidents.

"Bonfires and fireworks, if not enjoyed responsibly, can be extremely dangerous and it is crucial that people know how to stay safe.

"Our crews have been able to respond quickly to a number of incidents this weekend and stop fires from escalating."